Cloud-Init Installation FAQ

You are advised to install Cloud-Init on the ECS that will be used to create a private image so that new ECSs created from the private image support custom configurations (for example, changing the ECS login password).

For details about how to install Cloud-Init, see Installing Cloud-Init.

For details about how to configure Cloud-Init, see Configuring Cloud-Init.

The following describes common problems you may encounter when installing Cloud-Init and their solutions.

Ubuntu 16.04/CentOS 7: Failed to Set Cloud-Init Automatic Start

  • Symptom

    After Cloud-Init is installed, you run the following command to configure Cloud-Init automatic start:

    systemctl enable cloud-init-local.service cloud-init.service cloud-config.service cloud-final.service

    Information similar to the following is displayed:

    **Figure 1** Failed to enable Cloud-Init to start automatically

    Figure 1 Failed to enable Cloud-Init to start automatically

  • Solution

    1. Run the following command to roll back the configuration:

      systemctl unmask cloud-init-local.service cloud-init.service cloud-config.service cloud-final.service

    2. Run the following command to configure automatic start again:

      systemctl enable cloud-init-local.service cloud-init.service cloud-config.service cloud-final.service

    3. Run the following command to check the Cloud-Init status:

      systemctl status cloud-init-local.service cloud-init.service cloud-config.service cloud-final.service

      As shown in the following figures, failed is displayed and all services are in the inactive state.

      **Figure 2** Checking Cloud-Init status (1)

      Figure 2 Checking Cloud-Init status (1)

      **Figure 3** Checking Cloud-Init status (2)

      Figure 3 Checking Cloud-Init status (2)

      This is because the address that the system uses to access Cloud-Init is redirected to /usr/bin/, but the actual installation path is /usr/local/bin.

    4. Run the following command to copy Cloud-Init to the usr/bin directory:

      cp /usr/local/cloud-init /usr/bin/

    5. Run the following command to restart Cloud-Init:

      systemctl restart cloud-init-local.service cloud-init.service cloud-config.service cloud-final.service

      **Figure 4** Restarting Cloud-Init

      Figure 4 Restarting Cloud-Init

    6. Run the following command to check the Cloud-Init status:

      systemctl status cloud-init-local.service cloud-init.service cloud-config.service cloud-final.service

Ubuntu 14.04: chkconfig and systemctl Not Installed

  • Symptom

    chkconfig is not installed.

  • Solution

    Run the following commands to install chkconfig:

    apt-get update

    apt-get install sysv-rc-conf

    cp /usr/sbin/sysv-rc-conf /usr/sbin/chkconfig

    Run the following command to query the Cloud-Init version:

    cloud-init -v

    Information similar to the following is displayed:

    -bash:/usr/bin/cloud-init:not found this command
    

    Run the following command to copy Cloud-Init to the usr/bin directory:

    cp /usr/local/bin/cloud-init /usr/bin/

Debian 9.5: Failed to Query the Cloud-Init Version and Configure Automatic Start

  1. Run the following command to query the Cloud-Init version:

    cloud-init -v

    Information similar to the following is displayed:

    -bash:/usr/bin/cloud-init:not found this command
    

    Run the cp /usr/local/bin/cloud-init /usr/bin/ command to copy Cloud-Init to the usr/bin directory.

  2. Run the cloud-init init --local command.

    Information similar to the following is displayed:

    **Figure 5** Information returned when Cloud-Init automatic start successfully set

    Figure 5 Information returned when Cloud-Init automatic start successfully set

    The compilation fails because GCC is not installed.

    To solve this issue:

    Run the following command to install GCC. Then, install Cloud-Init again.

    yum -y install gcc

  3. After Cloud-Init is installed, run the following command to configure Cloud-Init automatic start:

    systemctl enable cloud-init-local.service cloud-init.service cloud-config.service cloud-final.service

    Information similar to the following is displayed.

    **Figure 6** Prompt indicating the failure to configure Cloud-Init automatic start

    Figure 6 Prompt indicating the failure to configure Cloud-Init automatic start

    To solve this issue:

    1. Run the following command to roll back the configuration:

      systemctl unmask cloud-init-local.service cloud-init.service cloud-config.service cloud-final.service

    2. Run the following command to set automatic start again:

      systemctl enable cloud-init-local.service cloud-init.service cloud-config.service cloud-final.service

    3. Run the following command to restart Cloud-Init:

      systemctl restart cloud-init-local.service cloud-init.service cloud-config.service cloud-final.service

      Run the systemctl status command to check the Cloud-Init status. Information similar to the following is displayed:

      **Figure 7** Verifying the service status

      Figure 7 Verifying the service status

CentOS 7/Fedora 28: Required C Compiler Not Installed

  • Symptom

    After Cloud-Init is successfully installed, you run the following command:

    cloud-init init --local

    The following information is displayed:

    /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/Cheetah/Compiler.py:1532: UserWarning:
    You don't have the C version of NameMapper installed! I'm disabling Cheetah's useStackFrames option as it is painfully slow with the Python version of NameMapper. You should get a copy of Cheetah with the compiled C version of NameMapper.
      "\nYou don't have the C version of NameMapper installed!
    
  • Cause analysis

    This alarm is generated because C version of NameMapper needs to be compiled when Cloud-Init is installed. However, GCC is not installed in the system, and the compilation cannot be performed. As a result, NameMapper is missing.

  • Solution

    Run the following command to install GCC:

    yum -y install gcc

    Reinstall Cloud-Init.

CentOS 7/Fedora: Failed to Use the New Password to Log In to an ECS Created from an Image

  • Symptom

    You cannot use a new password to log in to an ECS created from an image with Cloud-Init installed. After logging in to the ECS using the old password, you find that NICs of the ECS are not started.

    **Figure 8** NIC not started

    Figure 8 NIC not started

  • Solution

    Log in to the ECS used to create that image, open the DHCP configuration file /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-ethX, and comment out HWADDR.